Reading the Irish Landscape

Shortly after cursing the darkness via yesterday's rant it occurred to me I could easily light a candle and share one of my favorite writers - in time for St. Patrick's Day no less.

For over 3o years Tim Robinsonhas been mapping and writing about the landscapes of western Ireland. (His work was recommended to me by an Irish bookseller several years ago - one of the the great tips I've ever gotten in life)

Robinson captures the nature, language and history of the land in a way that I have never encountered before. What might appear as a mere pile of rocks in a field is actually the ruin of a shepherd's shelter. This leads into a discussion of the lives of the shepherds, their fishermen husbands, and the bygone world of the west coast of Ireland. That's but one example.

Of course the land and times are changing there as well. And Robinson may well be the only one who will capture these places in time in such intimate detail. Well, he may not be the only one but he may be the most talented one.

Note: There were still a few copies of his books at Book Table - available for holiday giving!